When I visited the Hack(H)er413 website to sign up for the hackathon, I was anxious, nervous and excited and had an idea of what to expect. This was my second Hackathon event.
The day of the event was informative. We had a couple of workshops to select from. The first one I participated in was SQL injection. Reading about it before the workshop and then attending it got me thinking how I have a soft spot for computer science.
The workshop has inspired me to not let go of any of the coding I learned in my previous semesters at Springfield Technical Community College before switching to my current major. I am studying mechanical engineering technology, but hope in the future I can continue with computer science.
The next workshop I attended was Xcode. Being already familiar with it, I had to attend it and see what else I could learn from the workshop. I had some of the steps written down on paper. I wanted to come up with a team for the project I selected to do.
The project I decided to work on was to build a mini game. I invited anyone who did not have a team to come join.
Three women joined my team. We worked together. I made sure each one of our opinions was heard, and to make sure we voted on any decision we made related to the game.
I had already come up with a code on Xcode to simulate a iPhone 7 or iPod. I was very close to completing my mini game/ios app. But unfortunately I needed maybe an hour more to give the final touches.
For the project my team worked on, we took a task we felt comfortable doing. One of my team members created the logo for our game. I coded and continued with researching and sending information to my teammates. We all brainstormed and had awesome ideas.
I knew regardless if we won a prize or not, we had a terrific experience. I was just so stunned and proud at how all of us women got together. We didn’t know about each other but we had connected. One of my classmates was from California. Who would have thought I would be doing Hackathon with someone in California.
It was challenging but in such short time I was able to take in so much information and learn. Hack(H)er413 is the first all women and non-binary student Hackathon in Western Massachusetts. This year specifically was the first virtual HackHer13 competition.
I hope my brief experience inspires you to apply to Hackathon 2022. Also, consider the hackathon that STCC has to offer. I am always up for a challenge and Hackher413 was able to deliver.
